A country or economic entity (e.g., Hong Kong) that has adhered to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), thereby accepting the body of specified obligations and benefits contained therein. The signatories of GATT are referred to in GATT documents as the CONTRACTING PARTIES, in capital letters, when they act collectively within the framework of the General Agreement.
See also:
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,
Protocol of Provisional Application,